Society Gists

The Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is increasingly worried about the relentless zeal with which the outgoing administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun has plunged Ogun State and its coming generations into the irreversible pit of indebtedness.

In a recent publication made available by the National Bureau of Statistics, the total debt profile of Ogun State has risen and put at 379 billion naira, the 3rd highest in Nigeria closely following Lagos and Delta States in the first and second positions respectively.

An objective look at the mind-blowing amount of the State’s debt regarding the physical development of public infrastructures and social amenities confirms that Ogun State, under the incumbent administration of Mr. Abiodun and the sinking APC, is edging towards irredeemable bankruptcy if urgent steps are not taken.

For the PDP, it is not out of place for States to borrow to finance developmental projects, expand frontiers of potential, and fund their physical infrastructural needs from time to time. So many forward-looking States, including Ogun State, have done this in the past; Lagos State, our immediate neighbor, has also availed themselves of these opportunities. What is extremely worrisome and utterly disappointing is that Ogun State has absolutely nothing to show for an additional 300 billion naira debt apart from about 80 billion it inherited from the Ibikunle Amosun’s administration in 2019. It is as if the only thing the Dapo Abiodun-led government does is to borrow and loot. Or how else does anyone explain this embarrassing borrowing without commensurate developments?

A drive through all major commercial centers and towns across Ogun State provides an embarrassing show of infrastructural decay, abandoned public utilities, dirty and unkempt business environments, uninspired workforce, and several other tales of woes and failures of government business as a whole. A first-time visitor to any part of the State proves a government that is permanently on holiday.

The only question that has continued to beg for answers is what Mr. Abiodun and his insensitive government have been doing with all the money; statutory state monthly allocations, the borrowings, and other funds. Yet, the government still diverts statutory Local government funds every month. Governance cannot be about reckless borrowing only. From all the realities around, it is increasingly clear that Ogun State is being milked to death.

We, therefore, call the attention of all stakeholders, all men of good conscience to join us in the call to liberate Ogun State from Mr. Abiodun’s unquenchable appetite for unexplained borrowings.

Particularly, we challenge the State House of Assembly, under the Speakership of Rt. Hon Taiwo Oluomo, to look at the government books immediately if truly The House is not a party to criminal diversion of the State resources to private vaults. Mr. Dapo Abiodun must be reminded that government is a trust; a trust he holds on behalf of the good and law-abiding residents of the state. He, therefore, owes his employers, residents of Ogun, some detailed explanations on what has happened to every kobo from the 379 billion debt hanging on the state’s neck.

Asiwaju Bankole Akintoye
Public Secretary
PDP Ogun State.